Dog-Gone

Many people throughout the world today consider themselves an animal person. More specifically some will say they are a "cat person" or a "dog person." I must admit I do like cats. Well, I like some cats. Usually I like that kitten I raised but then there are cats like Lucifer from "Cinderella." Then there are DOGS. I have strong mixed feelings about them. Sure puppies are adorable. Hound dogs are my favorite. Slobbery dogs should die. You get my drift. Basically, I like animals when I'm in the mood to like animals. However, animals often don't understand this, especially dogs.

The first dog I remember was when I was a toddler. My Nana and Papa had a dog named Rocky. He was really old. I remember him being shaggy and walking around their house, eating crumbs off the floor. I remember I was sad when he died. But I was so little that is all I remember

Then, when I was 7-8 years old, my dad went on his annual golfing trip in Arizona. One morning the boys and I were at Nana's house while mom went shopping. When she returned, she had 2 little puppies in her arms!! They were so much fun. One problem. My dad hates dogs! And dogs usually hate him. He has terrible memories of his childhood and random neighborhood dogs. The only dog he ever like and ever owned was I believe a husky named DOG. Anyways, it was just a good thing that dad was golfing when mom called and asked for the puppies. To this day, he says that he was tricked into it and you can't expect a man to think straight enough on the golf course to make that kind of decision. Well, we got our first puppies. The boy dog of course was named by Hunter and girl dog was named by me. Sara Jane and Little Yeller Rocky J. Davis. We just called him Yeller. I finally had another girl in the house. (my sisters weren't born yet.) Sara was going to be my companion, and so she has been. I like her even more now in her old age, with barley any eyesight or hearing left and a slow sluggish walk.

When I was about 10 years old I lived out in the country. The best place on earth, Grenola Kansas! Out there God whispered in your ear every time the wind blew on your face, it was quiet enough to hear yourself think, (even if you had three crazy, loud brothers) and your imagination was free to roam the countryside. We had 2 dogs at that point but, I wanted another dog. Apparently I was in the "loving animals" moment in my life. I'm really not sure why. I was going to be a farmer, or a zoo keeper. Anyways, I prayed that God would bring me a puppy. A few days later, what should be sitting at our doorstep but a little puppy. Doby, (my mom named him after the beanie baby dog he looked like) was a mutt, but a cute and smart one at that. He looked like he had some doberman pincher in him and possible some rut wiler. He would climb onto the roof of the dog houses! Which I thought was weird and funny. I didn't have him long. Shortly after I found him I felt like the Lord wanted me to give him away to someone, so I did. But, I will always remember that I prayed for a puppy and God left one on my doorstep.

As I got older, I didn't care for dogs. They smell, They always want attention, and they are a lot of work. like I said before, I'm the type of person that likes animals when I want to like them and I want them to go away when I don't feel like having them around. Dogs really don't operate that way. The funny thing is, even though I am not a huge dog person, dogs for some odd reason like me! It's kind of annoying. I will go to a friends house and here comes the dog. Sometimes their owners will smile at me and say, "He likes you!" to which I give a fake smile and think,"I don't like you stupid dog, why do you like me?"

Skip a few years and you find me down in the sunny state of Florida, carrying a laundry basket across campus on a Saturday morning. As I walk around the building to enter the wash room I hear a dog bark. Now, you can tell what kind of dog it is by the way it barks. This dog was big and scary sounding! I wasn't about to around the corner and get attacked by a wild dog. (It was out in the country. It's possible. In fact months later I was driving down an old country road, my food on my dash when all the sudden this HUGE black dog runs to my car and starts barking. I had to slam on the brakes not to miss him! My food went flying. It took me 15 minutes to get away from him because he was holding my car hostage! I couldn't drive over him and I couldn't get out or else he would eat me! So my fear was legit) Anyways, I decided to go to the other wash room. I walked across campus but in vain since my laundry soap was in the other room. Ahhh!! I was going to have to face that beast. So This time I went around the other side of the building and slowly approached. I didn't see anything until I walked past a corner and there he was curled up in the dampness. I small puppy with his ribs showing. He was so scared I could hardly get near him. Long story short, I got to keep Sherman for the weekend. I loved him. He followed me wherever I went. The best mixed hound dog ever.

A jump and a skip finds me back home in Kansas where my brother has suddenly decided he wants a puppy. A full black lab soon enters our household, well not our literal house, my dad would have killed him. Anyways, its not long before every other weekend the deer stand is calling my brothers name and my brother is calling me to do his dirty work. Don't get me wrong, Duke is pretty cute, well he was cute, now he just a monster. He's not mean, he's just HUGE! Not to mention, walking a dog in the freezing cold is not my idea of a relaxing morning.

I think it is safe to say that I am not a dog person. One day maybe I will have a hound dog. But, if I have a dog:

1. He must stay outside
2. No drooling! or Licking!
3. Wants to play or walk when I want him to but for the most part sleep
4. Not a loud barker
5. His name shall be "Ol Reliable"

Eh who am I kidding there is only one animal for me! One that doesn't make horrible noises, is easy maintenance, doesn't poop everywhere or drool. Let's just say, I'm a goldfish person....